Almighty God,
In your amazing grace , and by your Holy Spirit, you bless us with sanctuary and rest in your son Jesus Christ. You bless us by calling and drawing us to you.
King Jesus,
In our daily struggle with our own sin, the darkness in this world can make it seem like there is no hope. In the midst of our struggles, comfort us with the truth that you are active right here and right now through your Word and your body and blood. Comfort us with the truth that it is precisely into our struggles where you enter, in order to help us, and to carry us in hope.Turn us to you not as prisoners of sin, but as prisoners of hope. Turn us to you in hope, Lord, as foretold by the prophet,
“Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey”.
As we celebrate and reflect on your entry into Jerusalem this Palm Sunday, spark our hearts to shout along with the church eternal at your coming, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”, “Hosanna!”, “Save us!” Remind us that when we shout “Hosanna!” it is out of our need for salvation, but also, in faith, that in you we are already saved. Saved from the clutches of sin, death, and the devil. For the King we welcome is the Servant King, the King who bore the wrath of God in our stead, that by His blood we are made full heirs of His Kingdom.
Amen.